A new Sierra Leone Red Cross tv soap opera aims to educate people about Ebola. Local celebrities donate their time to take part. Photo:Lisa Pattison, IFRC

A household under quarantine is one of the scenes for an episode of a new Sierra Leone Red Cross tv soap opera, Advice, which seeks to dispel myths and provide accurate information on Ebola. Photo: Lisa Pattison, IFRC

Patrick Massaquoi, the Sierra Leone Red Cross communications manager, writes scenes for a new Red Cross Ebola soap opera to explain Ebola and the work of the Red Cross volunteers who respond. Photo: Lisa Pattison, IFRC

A man painstakingly lectures his family on the importance of hand washing while the house next door is under quarantine. What could seemingly be a scene of an Ebola affected community is in fact the set of the Sierra Leone Red Cross’ new soap opera, Advice.

On closer inspection, the man lecturing his family about hand sanitation is a popular face for many Sierra Leoneons who will recognize him as the comedian, Ernest ‘Vamboi’ Brewah. The woman directing the actors at the quarantined house is Albertina Momoh, a well-known film producer in the country. National celebrities have been lending their support to the new soap opera which is aired on the weekly Saturday night Red Cross television show. Brewah explains, “We use our fame and make characters so that people will watch and can connect to us. All this helps to stop Ebola.”

By creating interesting characters and using locations and popular figures that everyday people can relate to, soap operas are one of the key tools for raising awareness about Ebola. “Drama is a fun way to engage, inform and entertain the public about different issues. We use it to educate people about human rights, gender and health,” says Patrick Massaquoi, communications coordinator at the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society.

With the ongoing Ebola epidemic, continued innovative and new public awareness raising tactics are needed to convey and reinforce life-saving information. “Soaps represent an escape from reality, but at the same time allow people to connect with like-minded people. This way people can relate the scenes being played out in front of them to their present situation and they pay attention,” explains Massaquoi.

Massaquoi wrote the script for the soap opera to be able to provide accurate information and dispel any misconceptions about Ebola. One such episode is the household under quarantine during which the actors explain what the quarantine entails, why it happens and the importance of adhering to it. “Quarantine is very unpopular and it causes a lot of concern for people. With this scene we hope to inform them about the help they can receive from the authorities and Red Cross contact tracers,” adds Massaquoi.

Prior to the Ebola outbreak, the Red Cross frequently used community drama to convey key messages. However since the prohibition of public gatherings , drama has been played out on television and radio. The Red Cross soap opera is broadcast mainly in Freetown, but the script is also adapted for use on the radio by using extra sound effects. Radio remains one of the most popular channels of communication and is a trusted source of information for many Sierra Leoneons.

Both the radio and television dramas are performed by 30 volunteer actors who form the Red Cross drama society. Emmanuel A. Mondeh, one of the volunteer actors playing the part of a police officer outside the quarantined household, explains, “drama is part of life. With drama you can communicate with and include all people. If you are illiterate, you can still understand drama and learn.”

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched a revised emergency appeal of 41 million Swiss francs to reach more than 11 million people who could be affected by the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. In total, IFRC has launched 16 Ebola operations in response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, targeting 39 million people. For more details on the Red Cross regional Ebola response, visit www.ifrc.org/ebola-crisis.